Smokehouse



J. D. LINSS.

sMoKEHousE.

1,354,317. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 24l i919. 28,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. D. LINSS.

SMOKEHOUSE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 24, |919.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

- drawings,

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN D. LINSS, OF OKLAHOMA, OKLAHOMA.

SMOKEHOUSE.

rApplication filed December 24, 1919.

T o all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN D. LiNss, a citizen ofthe United States, residing' at Oklahema, in the county of yOklahoma and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Smokehouses, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying vThis invention relates to smoke houses, and particularly to smoke houses such as are used in large butchering and packing establishments for smoking meat, irish, sausage, hams, bacon, etc.

The general object of this invention is to provide a smoke house of such construction that the meats being smoked may be either subjected to the direct heat of the ire or Y not as deemed most desirable.

l directly up into a stack.

A further object is to provide means whereby the heat may be carried off to the atmosphere and the meats thus not subjected to the direct heat of the fire, while the smoke may be carried through the smoke house and the meats subjected thereto.

A further object is to provide a smoke house so constructed that the shrinkage of meatl in the process of smoking will be greatly reduced or-entirely eliminated.

v And another object is to provide a smoke house wherein the meat will be absolutely7 safe and prevented from` being directly acted on by the `fire. v

Another object is to provide a smoke house of this character whereina separator is used which will permit the smoke to pass Y.

into the smoke house but the heat to pass Another object is to provide a smoke house of this kind with a fire boX, dampers normally closed to `prevent the direct passage' of heatv from the lire boX into the smoke housebut which may bev opened toV permit said direct passage of heat, and provide` means whereby the smoke may be caused to pass into a separator so constructed 'that the smoke may be then` directed by a suitable damper into the smoke 'house and the heat'caused to pass up into..

the airrthrough a stack. or both the .smeken l`,be allowed to pass into the hollow dampers,

andheat may be caused to pass intoA the stack.

Another obiect is to provide dampers separating the lire box from thestack which Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept 28, 1920 Serial No. 347,070.

y areair cooled and non-conductors of heat.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a front view of a smoke house constructed in accordance with mv invention; U

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the smoke house and separator;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is ak fragmentary section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to these drawings', 10 designates the smoke house proper which is closed onthree sides and on the fourth side is provided with doors 11 and 12 which, when open, permit the removal of the racks from the interior of the smoke house, but which maybe closed, and locked by means of the latch bar 13 engaging in the keeper 14. The interior ofthe smoke house is to be provided with cleats 15 whereby Vthe racks may be supported therein. Below the smoke house proper or compartment 10 is a fire box,r designated generally 16, provided' with a re door 17 of any suitable construction but shown as sliding in guides 18. Forming' the upper part of the fire boX Y, and the bottomV of thesmoke house proper are a plurality of dampers 19, each damper being pivotally mounted upon a longitudinal shaft 20, the shafts of these dampers eX- tending out through the front of the lire boX above the door 17 and being provided with suitable means whereby they be rotated and held in adjusted position.

These dampers are, of course, to` be made `rof refractory or non-conductive material, and preferably the dampers are somewhat oval in cross section and hollow, as at 21. 'The shaft 2O ofk these dampers pass out through the exterior wall of the fire boX and vare there provided with means whereby they 'may be rotated, and access to the dampers y,maybe had .by means of a slot, normally "closed by a hingedpdoor 22. Freshair may pass into the smoke house by vopening the door 22, and by opening this door 22 airmay thus cooling them ofi".

Disposed at one side of the lire box and smoke house proper is a separator casing 23 which may beV made of metal or Vother ,suitable material and is provided'with 'a detach- Vone end and at its lower end .isjconnected to anupwardly-extending' pipe '28. The upper end of the pipe 27 is flaredy at 29,. and this enlarged end is disposed in the upper portion of thes'eparator. Disposed Within? Y the pipe 27 is asmall pipe 29a whoselower vend is approximately even with the pipe. 26,

this smallpipe 29a extending out through the enlarged, upper `end* of the pipe27. v 4The V'outer end of this pipe 29 is supported aspider having pertorations 29D. The pipe 28 is provided at onepoint with an opening 30,..

, `and adapted to cover oruncover thisV ope-n ing is aV damper 3l mounted upon an. arm

32 which, lin turn, is mounted uponV a shaft n or spindle 33 extending through they end ofthe separator and provided withV a handle' 33a. A damper 34 isrdisposed in, this spindle. It will be' obvious now that when this handle is turned in one direction, the damper 3lv will close the opening 30, and under these circumstances the damper 3e will be f opened. When, however,the damper. 3.1 -is shiftedv fully away :trom the openingf30, the

damper 34 will be closed. Mounted `upon l the damper 31 be closed, then the damper" this pipe 28 and extending AupwardtherefromV is a stack: 35, and extending from an vopening36 in the top of the smoke house 10 is a flue 37 which connects with this stack 35.

damper 38 which is illustrated as sliding 'damper mounted upon a rod 39 which extendsout to the front of the smoke house above the lire box, .and the duct or pipe 26 is controlled by a damper 40 inturnV connected to a rodL 4l which extends out through they front wall ofthe .-re box, whereby. the

damper may be operated. Preferably, ythel pipe 26l is provided with a downwardly or laterally extending branch 42 which is open andvextendls from the bottomot the pipe 26. This branch l2 and the openings 29b Vpermit thesmoke to escape freelyinto the separator, while the lighter heated products of ,-combustion-will bel drawn upward through the pipe 28 to the stack 25.

Preferably, a hollow partition wall-4:3 of refractory material, and which may be of nonl'conductive material, is disposed across the separator, as indicated in Fig. 2. yThis hollow partition. walldoes not extendentirelyaeross the'k separator, but only above vthe pipe 26. This wall isy provided with relatively large lower"openings and rela-- tively small upper openings, whereby the heat and smoke may circulate through the separator. It is to be understood that the the smoke house `door, ythenV the dampen 38 opening 4:2r maybe located either` to open downward or open toward the forward end of the separator, as desired.

ntheoperation of this device, if it is desired that the meat,'lish or'other articles within the 'smoke house be submitted to the direct action of heat, then the dampers 19 are openedto a greater or less extent so as to permit vthe heatand smoke to pass u'p-V Y Vward and Vact upon the materials hanging Ywithin Vthe smoke house.

vdirectheat, but ,subjected entirely to theV smoke, then the dampers 19 are closed, thus cutting off the action of direct heat and the smoke and heated products of combustion. will pass into the separator throughV Ythe pipe'26, lthe heat passing up. the stack,` as Y beforestated, to someV extent Vandaportion of the heat andk thelsmoke passing into the Y separator itself andthrough the duct 25. into the Smoker house. Of course, the amount of heat and smoke which passes into the Vsmoke house may ybe controlled by the; damper 38 or by the damper 40. It the damper 3l be opened, then the damper 34twillbe closed, as' before explained, thusV allowing the smoke and heat to pass outY through pipe 27 into theV SeparatorY and thus Vinto kthejstack V35 through opening 30. On the other hand, if

and heat oli' throughv the stack 3 5. The par- Y ticular shapefof the. pipe with yits* interior pipe 29ar will tend to 'cause separation of the smoke and heat so that if theV damper stack"35, but the smoke will-pass 'upward out, of the enlargedopen endo'f lthe pipe 27 and pass into the separator .and from tion of the separator and outthroughthe pipe 37 whichwill tendto vcarry the vsmoke this way, while most of the heat will pass stack'35vand soxout. l' When bacon, sausage,y or other lmeat is being smoked which does not require much'heat, the dampers l19 V'are v closedv andV the 'dampers' 38 and l0 Yare opened. Then the smoke4 `alone-goes into y the smokefhouse. If Vithe desired toopen is closed and the damper 31'is closed and heat and smoke are carried out through stack Thus.the smoke will notA pass lthrough the smoke 'house into Vthe building 105 31 be closed and the damperlsbe opened,Y Y .they heat will `tend to pass up through the llo Y the separator into the Vsmoke house and@ Y thence out by the flue 37. Vlnother wordsfA Y a draft will Vbe createdfrom the upperjoor-v again.

where'the smoke house is located. Vv'hen the outer doors 11 and 12 are closed, then the damper 3S. is opened and the damper .31 is opened, and then the smoke will pass fromy the separator into the smoke house Incase meats are being smoked which require plenty of heat, the dampers 19 are opened and dampers '38 and 410 are closed. That throws the direct heat into the smoke house and at the same time this heat'and 'smoke can be regulated by the dampers 19.

It isfalso possibleto withdraw part of the heat and smoke by openingthedamper 40 as well as the dampers19 so that some portion oi the smoke andA heat will pass, out through the pipel26 and so out to the" stack. l/Vhen the meat has been properly treated, the dampers L10 and 41 are opened. Then the heat and smoke will both go out of stack 35 and by closing the dampers 19 entirely, no smoke will pass into the building even when the doors 11 and 12 are open. The damper 31 and damper 34e are both on the same operating member, It will be' understood that in largeA smoke houses where there4 are many compartments, or in which the smoke house is longer-.than 1t 1s wide, there VWill be a plurality of the dainpers 38 and 10,

a plurality of pipes 26 with their connections to the stack 35, and all of the dampers will be operated by a singleunitary means.

It will thus be seen that the meat within v the smoke house may be subjected to any desired degree of heat, either direct or indirect, and to any desired degree et smoke, and that all of the smoke may pass through the smoke house or only a portion et the smoke may pass through the smoke house,

and that this smoke will be heated to a de-IV and there is a great loss ,inmeatsmoking establishments vbecause of this shrinkage.

Furthermore, there is alwaysY danger in all smoke houses. known to me of the meat becoming too greatly heatedconse'quent upon the fire burning too strongly, but this is entirely overcome in my construction by the arrangement of dampers which prevents the `direct action. of lthe fire on the meat, and which permits the meat to be subjected to a long continued smoking at a relatively ,low heat, or to a relatively rapid smoking at a relatively high degree of heat. Preferably, the smoke house, the separator, and fire box will be formed of cast iron, though this is not necessarily the case., as other ma.. terials might be used in whole or in part. Of course, it is obvious* that this smoking proper and the number of dampers for controlling the passage of heat and smoke into the separator and from the separator into the smoke house may be varied, depending upon the size of the apparatus and its capacity.

l do not wish to be limited, therefore, to the exact construction shown or to the exact arrangement of parts, asv-these may be varied in many ways without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim 1. A smoke house proper having means for supporting meat therein, av iire box'disposed beneath the smoke house, non-coneuctive dampers separating the ire box Jfrom the smoke house and shiftable to an open or closed position, and manually controllable means for directing the smoke from the lire box and into the smoke house when the dampers are closed.

2. A smoke house, a tire bex thereunder, dampers disposed between the fire box and the smoke house and shiftable to entirely separate the smoke house from the fire box or permit the direct passage of heat from the fire box into the smoke house, a smoke and heat separator, a pipe extending Jfrom the tire box into the separator, a duct extending from the separator into the smoke house, dempers controlling said pipe and duct respectively, and damper controlled means for carrying off heat from the separater and smoke from the upper end of the smoke house. v

A smoke house, a lire box thereunder, dampers disposed between the ire box and the smoke house and shiftable to entirely separate the smoke house from the fire box or permit the direct passage of heat from theV fire box into the smoke house,-a smoke and heat separator having a duct leading into the smoke house at the lower end thereof above the fire box dampers and controlled by` a damper, a pipe leading from the lire box into the separator and controlled by a damper, said pipe at its outer end having two branches, one opening into the separator and the other communicating with an upwardly extending iue, a'stack into which said flue opens, a branch-pipe leading from the top of the smoke house into said stack, and means i'or opening communication directly between the interior of the separator and said flue.

4:. A. smoke house, a fire box thereunder, dempers disposed between the fire box and the .smoke house and shiftable to entirely separate the smoke house from the tire box or permit the direct passage of heat from the fire box into the smokehouse, smoke and heat separator, the separator having a duct leading into 'the smokev house at the lower end thereof above the lire box dampers and controlled by a damper, a ,pipe leadingfrom the firebox into the separator and controlled by a damper, said pipe at its 'outer end having two branches, one opening into the separator and the other communi-V eating with anupwardly extending flue, a`

stack into which said flue opens, a branch 1 0'I pipe leading lfrom the top ofthe smoke "house into said stack, and means for openingL coinmunication directly between ythe interior offthe separator and said flue, said means comprising lan opening in the flue, anda V'15 manually shiftable damper normally clos-` ingsaid opening but adapted to be shifted away from the opening to permit the pasyl sage of smoke through said opening into the flue. v

5. A smoke house having means therein for supporting materials to be smoked, a fire box beneath saidv smokehouse, hollow,I air cooled, refractory, non-heat conductive dam# ing into the lower portion of` the smoke house above the fire box dampers, a manu- Ially controlled damper controlling passage through said duct, a pipe leading fromthe re box into the separator, a manually controlled damper controlling passage through said pipe, a branch pipe at the end of the,

first named pipe, a branch pipe extending at an inclination to the horizontal and being a ,40 open at its upper end for the dischargeof smoke, the lower end of said branch pipe being connected to an upwardly extending Vflue, a stack extending upward from. said flue, a `branch flue extending .from the top of ,45 the smoke house and discharging into the Y stack, said first named flue being provided Y with an opening, and a manually actuatable damper normallyclosing said opening but shiftable to uncoverthe opening to permit smoke t0 pass into the Hue. i

Y 6. yA smoke house, a fire box therein, dam-v pers disposedA between the lire box and theV smoke house and shiftable to lentirely separate thesmokehouse `from .the lire box'orVV permit a direct passage of heatV from the fire box into the smoke house, a smoke. and heat separator, thev separator having a Y duct leading into thesmoke house at Vthe lower end thereof above the fire box dam- 'pers and controlledby a damper, a pipe lea-ding from the lire box into the separa-v tor and controlled by a damper, saidpipev at its `outer end having two branches, one Y opening into the upper end portion of the 6.5 separator and the other extending V downprising an opening ,iny the 'fi-ue, a damperl weer@ separate the smoke house fromthe irebox or permit a direct passage of heat from the. fire box intol the YsmokeV house, a smoke and heat separator, the separator havinga duct Vleading into thesmoke house atthe lower' end thereof above the fire box dampers and 8 54 controlled byY adampen'a pipel leading from.

fthe fire box into fthe 4separator and con.

trolled by a damper, said pipe at its outer, end having'two branches1 oneV opening into theupper-end portion of the separator and 90,'

the other extending downward: and communicating' with lan upwardly' extending Hue, astackintowhieh said flue opens, aV branch pipe leadinglfrom the top of thev smoke house into said stack, `and means for 95 establishing or Vcutting ofi'y communication between said last namedbranch and the upwardly extending flue and for opening coinmunication between the Vupper portion of the separatorand` said flue, said means comdisposed belowsaid opening andihaving a spindle, and` an arm extendingy from the spindle and carrying a damperadapted to be disposed overfthevopening in thel fluedto close itlvand said spindlehaving a handle wherebyl may be rotated. Y s

Y8. A smokeV house having means therein for, supporting` materials to be smoked, a lire box beneath the smoke house, dampers disposed between the fire boxV and smoke, house andshiftable toentirely separate the tWO, Ol permit the direct passage'of heat and smoke from the fire box into the smoke house, a smoke and heat separator casing having aduct leadinginto the smoke'house at Vthe'lower end 'thereofrabove'the fire box dampers, and 'controlled by a damper, l pipe leading from the fire box into the sepa-v rator and controlled by a damper, said pipe at its outer end having two branches, one extending upward andthe other downward in an oppositey direction, the vupwardly extending branch being flared at 'its' top, the downwardly extending branch being con-J tracted toward its lower end and being'connected to an upwardly extendingv flue, a relatively small pipe disposedY within the upwardly extending branch andopening at i its outer end coincident with the opening Yof 130 Latem? the upwardly extending branch, this ppe connection between the downwardly extendbeng contracted at its lower end, a stack ing branch and the flue or opening said last into which the flue opens, a branch pipe named connection and closing the rst 10 leading from the top of the Smokehouse into named connection.

said Steck, and means for opening com- In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my muncaton directly between the interior of signature.

the separator and said flue andy closing JOHN D. LINSS. 

